


What A Storm Leaves Behind

by oddcandy



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: F/M, Gally & Original Female Character, Gladers, Gladers & Original Character, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2017-03-29
Packaged: 2018-10-12 17:26:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10495956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oddcandy/pseuds/oddcandy
Summary: She arrives in the Glade like a storm and they all wished she had left like one too.Instead, when she leaves, she leaves them only with questions with no answers and they would have preferred if she had left in a huff. They would have preferred tears and yelling and fists. Instead, they are left with memories, broken hearts, and simpering anger at nothing in particular - not even her - and they all hate her more for it. They still love her just the same. In the end, she would always have a piece of all of their hearts.The story doesn't start with her. The story doesn't end with her either.She was the middle - just another chapter in the trials.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> It took me less than a day to write this and I am not sure if I'm going to finish it. Apologies if it is difficult to read and if there are a lot of grammatical errors. Since I haven't decided whether or not to continue with this piece, I didn't want to spend too much time editing it. I just wanted to post what I had written up. I have definitely written a little more than what I have posted but it is, for the most part, incomplete. 
> 
> It is a combination of both the books and the movies (leaning heavily towards the movie-verse of it), but it is also a bit AU-ish, as you can tell. 
> 
> Would love some feedback!
> 
> Thanks!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He hears a few gasps from behind him and someone is shouting, "It's a girl!" Most of the Gladers are shouting now and are trying to push forward to get a better look at the girl. It is only the Keepers, the Baggers, and Alby's shouts to calm down have the Gladers taking a step back from the Box and the girl.

> _I will not ask you where you came from_  
>  _I will not ask you, neither should you_  
>  _Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips_  
>  _We should just kiss like real people do_
> 
> _\- Like Real People Do, Hozier_

  
She arrives in the Glade like a storm and they all wished she had left like one too. 

Instead, when she leaves, she leaves them with only questions with no answers and they would have preferred if she had left in a huff. They would have preferred tears and yelling and fists. Instead, they are left with memories, broken hearts, and simpering anger at nothing in particular - not even her - and they all hate her more for it. Newt wishes she had just let him jump. Alby holds his anger in until a new Greenie shows up. Minho spends more time in the Maze and everyday the Gladers wonder if he will ever come back. Gally is nothing but red face and fists and quiet anger. Frypan no longer cooks the delicious meals they have all gotten use to. The Gladers themselves visit the Med Hut less often, only being reminded of the coolness she left behind. 

The story doesn't start with her. The story doesn't end with her either. 

She was the middle - just another chapter in the trials. 

So here it goes. She arrives in the Glade like a storm. 

**\+ + +**

It is a beautiful day when she arrives. 

White clouds frame the sun, just passing the highest point in the sky. There is a breeze milling throughout the Glade today. There is a lot of labor, but there is also a lot of laughter. Everyone is in the Glade today, even the Runners, who are helping either the Builders or the Track-Hoes with their projects. The progress in both has been slow, and at the Gathering a few days ago, they all decided to focus on the upkeep of the Glade until they receive new materials from the Box. 

They have been here for almost a year. They first arrived in a large group of about thirty boys, including George, Nick, Minho, Alby, Newt and many of the others. After the first month in the Glade, a new boy came up in the Box along with many materials they needed to survive. Since then, like clockwork, the Box comes up into the Glade revealing a new boy and a new materials. It is the same every time. A new boy with no memories and only a name to claim his own. 

The whirring sound of machinery halts everyone in mid-work. They had been waiting for the Box to come up any day now. They were all getting a little anxious. Had the Creators forgotten about them? How long were they going to last without new materials? As the alarm starts, the boys of the Glade have dropped their work and have all gathered around the Box, waiting as the sound of whirring slows and whimpers as the Box reaches to the top. 

Without hesitation, Ben and Alby open the gates of the box. Gally jumps in without a moment to spare, hurried to see if any of the materials he requested were sent. 

"Who's the Greenie this month?" Someone shouts. 

"Did they send any more medical supplies?" Someone else calls. 

If Newt weren’t standing next to Minho, he would have missed the words coming out of the runner's mouth. "I hope the Greenie is a runner." They exchange glances as they wait for Gally to speak up.

No one else steps into the Box as Alby sticks his head in to see what is holding Gally up. His eyes widen and he's standing straight up motioning for everyone to give the Box some space. His eyes are searching and they land on Newt. He motions for the Keepers to step slightly forward, to help keep the other boys back as Newt joins their leader at the edge of the box. Nick is standing amongst the Keepers, but since George's death, he has been stand-offish and quiet, allowing Alby to step up as leader of the Glade and Newt as second. 

Newt shoots Alby a curious look and Alby just shrugs his shoulders, knowing that he wouldn't get any more information from him. While Newt was second-in-command, he spent most of his days as a Runner in the Maze searching for a way out and mapping the Maze with Minho and the other Runners. 

After a few more moments, they are surprised to see Gally jumping out of the box, his eyes wide in awe and no one misses the faint blush that is spread across his cheeks and down his neck, causing the other Gladers standing behind Newt to snicker. 

"Do you have a crush on the new Greenie, Gally?" 

"He must be a handsome Greenie!" Someone adds, and there is a burst of laughter that rings throughout the Glade. 

"I wouldn't use the word  _handsome_ ," Gally mumbles under his breath, his eyes meeting Newt and he motions the Runner to come over. "Help me get the newbie up...." He says and Newt steps up to help immediately. "I'm going to help from below and you pull 'em up. Be gentle, got it?" 

Before Newt can question why he ought to be gentle, Gally is jumping back down into the Box again. He tries to look over, but the shadow from the clouds makes it difficult for his eyes to adjust. Minho steps forward in case the Greenie takes off into a sprint and Alby is standing on his other side, with something like amusement shining from his eyes.

"There you go. Just step here. Don't worry, I got you..." They can hear Gally's voice echoing from the box, surprised to hear how gentle and patient he sounds. "Newt will help pull you up. He's the shank with the funny accent."

"Oi!" Newt calls down to Gally, shooting a glare at the snickers that form behind him.

"You hear that? Funny accent." 

They hear a soft giggle from below, and before Newt can reply, Gally is speaking again. "Okay, on a count of three. One, two, three -"

Newt is on his knees and his hand is reaching out, his eyes widen as he feels a soft hand in his own rough palm. He pauses for just a moment before helping the Greenie up from out of the Box. Newt only sees the top of long light blonde hair and thinks that they might have to cut it since it's much longer than Tyler's. It isn't until they help the Greenie up onto their feet does Newt fully understands the sudden change in Gally's attitude. Minho is helping Gally out of the box while Newt continues to stare at the new Greenie. 

He hears a few gasps from behind him and someone is shouting, "It's a girl!"

Most of the Gladers are shouting now and are trying to push forward to get a better look at the girl. It is only the Keepers, the Baggers, and Alby's shouts to calm down that have the Gladers taking a step back from the Box and the girl.

Newt doesn't bother to turn his head as the commotion happens behind him; he continues to stare at the girl. He hasn't moved since helping her stand and he can smell something like cinnamon and rain coming from her and he wonders if all girls smell so sweet. She has a smile on her face and her teeth are so white, that he realizes that she looks so put together and he is suddenly self-conscious with his own appearance. 

It isn't until Gally puts a hand on his shoulders that he finally blinks and moves out of the way to let the rest of the Gladers get a better look of the girl. He can hear Gally suck in his breath next to him but Newt isn't so sure if the noise is coming from himself or the other Gladers around him as the cloud part ways for the sun and all the Gladers are getting a better look at the girl. 

Gally was right to say that the word handsome wasn't the right word to use. The girl was beautiful. Wavy light blonde hair, tied half-up and half-down, went down her shoulders and to the small of her back. She looks about sixteen years old, with a heart-shaped face and a smile on her face that makes her seem a bit dreamy and bit mysterious. Her chin is tucked in neatly and she stands with a straight back; even in the face of the boys-only Glade, she does not cower.

She has a pack thrown over her shoulder, and she's wearing a pair of combat boots, dark shorts, a flowy cream-colored blouse with a dark grey sports-bra peeking through, and a sweater tied around her waist. The most daunting thing about her were how startlingly her clear, turquoise colored eyes were. It reminds Newt of an ocean he doesn't remember seeing.

Her eyes scan the faces of the Gladers and they are all holding their breaths to prevent themselves from taking a step back as her ocean-colored eyes moves through them - as if she saw something more to them than they knew. Her lips slowly quirk into an open smile and her eyes are sparkling with something akin to amusement.

He suddenly feels embarrassment for staring, but the silence from the other Gladers indicates he isn't the only one. Newt clears his throat, breaking the silence. He can hear the start of hushed whispers being exchanged.

Alby is the first to step forward to speak to her as the rest of the Gladers continue to stare and sit in their silence.

"Welcome to the Glade. I am Alby, the leader of the Gladers," he introduces and motions his hands to the group of wide-eyed boys. 

"Hello," She replies, her voice sweet and dreamy, as she nods her head in return, eyes moving through the faces of boys. "You can call me Emily," She speaks loud enough for the rest of the Gladers to hear and her words are slightly accented similar to the way Newt speaks, but sounds distant, as if she grew apart from it. 

"Emily," Someone whispered and it slowly became a chant on their lips until they were shouting it and laughing, tossing her name and the terms "She-Bean" and "Greenie" in there. No one questioned how she knew her name already, too occupied with the thought that the Creators had sent them a _girl_ for the first time. And there were a few Gladers that were shoving one another and pushing towards the front to get a better look at the girl. 

"Slim it!" Gally hollers at the top of his lungs and for some reason, Gally has stepped in front of her while Newt goes to stand beside her, both hoping to add some sense of security and protection for the girl. Emily just throws her head back and laughs. 

"Slim it?" She asks, "What kind of phrase is that?" Gally turns a deep red and the commotion and shoving has died down to laughing and playfulness. Alby orders the Gladers to get the materials out of the Box and slowly the Gladers trickle back to their work, sparing the girl one last glance before they go.

 **\+ + +**  

They set her up in the Med Hut until they know where to put her. 

Along with the girl, the Creators had set up a plethora of new materials and gear, more than they needed and a crate with the words _"For the girl"_ written on the side of it. Emily gets comfortable quickly and has already claimed a bed in the corner of the Med Hut all for herself and requests Gally to place the crate of her things at the end of the bed. 

They are surprised at her how calm she is, taking it all in stride. Almost too calm. They wonder how much she knows, since the questions she asks Alby are _nonexistent_ , as they escort her from the Box to the Med Hut to settle in for a few moments before showing her around the Homestead. She listens patiently as Alby speaks and doesn't interrupt him with any questions, like every Greenie has done so far. Newt, Gally, and Minho follow closely behind unsure if it is to keep Alby safe from the unknown girl or to keep the girl safe from Alby when he blows up from her lack of curiosity. 

They are standing in the hallway right outside of the Med Hut as Alby and Emily stand side-by-side and facing out the window. The three of them are too far to hear what they are saying but they can see Alby is pointing to something out of the window. Emily responds with something and they are waiting for him to shout about 'stupid Greenie questions,' but instead, they are surprised when he chuckles softly. They have not seen Alby look so calm since George's death - since Nick's withdrawal.

It has been less than a day since her arrival, but Emily is already the talk of the Glade. 

When the door of the walls closes and the sun sets, the bonfire is erected. Only the light from the moon, stars, and fire is lighting up the Glade. Emily has taken to going around and introducing herself personally to each and every one of the Glader. Alby follows next to her, as if he has appointed himself as her bodyguard. She doesn't seem to mind, and the rest of the Gladers are in awe that Emily has already managed to cool down their usual hot-tempered friend. Her efforts to meet and know everyone in the Glade, has her admired and respected immediately. 

Emily ends up next to Newt and Alby is called around to a wrestling match with Gally. She turns her head towards him and Newt almost loses his composure at the sight of her eyes and her smile.

"I'm Newt," He says after clearing his throat, hoping that he wasn't blushing like a bloody idiot. His hand is tightened around the jar of something that Gally made. 

"You can call me Emily," She replies and he wants to ask why she has been saying that to everyone. Was Emily not her name? The question dies on his lips as the sound of what couldn't really be called music starts up. Emily turns her head to watch, her eyes dancing from the light of the fire in a mixture of amusement and curiosity. "Do you all do this every night?"

"No, just when the Box comes up - to welcome the new Greenie," He says, looking at her from the corner of his eyes, watching as her eyes move to the group of boys cheering around the dirt circle. 

"Greenie, huh? Green. Fresh and new. Pretty clever of you boys," She says, turning her attention back to him, her eyes lighting up in mirth. 

"Greenie. Greenbean," He adds, leaning back slightly to get a better look of her face. "Or She-Bean as Minho has taken to calling you." 

"I'm not sure if I'm going to get use to the slang," She muses. 

"You'll get use to it," He replies, and he wants to bash his head into a tree as they drift into silence. Her eyes have wandered and he can't help but shoot glances at her every now and then. Trying to figure out her reaction to the bonfire, to the Gladers, to him. 

"Here. Want to try?" Newt says, handing her the amber-colored jar, wanting so badly to break out of the awkward silence. 

"What is it?" She asks, staring down at the liquid for a moment before taking a sip and swallowing it with a sour look. "What did I just drink?" She asks, shooting Newt a look before handing the jaw back to him. 

He shrugs his shoulders in response, "Something that Gally had concocted up." 

Newt is grinning like a fool when she throws her head back and laughs. "Well, tell him not to quit his day job. It tastes dreadful."

Frypan has brought up some pans and is playing a steady beat to his makeshift drums and Zart has his guitar in his hands strumming a melody and Winston is playing along with a fiddle tucked underneath his chin. The Creators had sent up the instruments when they sent up the two boys and the Gladers sometimes wonder if that means they are cared for or if they are meant to be distracted. 

But as Emily places her hand in his, Newt doesn't linger at the thought, and he allows her to pull him up to dance with her around the burning fire. Soon they were being joined by the other Gladers, some watching from the sidelines in amusement and laughter. Newt doesn't know what gets into him, but when Emily lets go of his hand to dance around him, he moves his arms around her waist and lifts her in the air, spinning in circles.

Everyone is laughing and shouting and clapping around them, as they all move and dance in circles. Emily has her hands rested on his shoulders and he can feel one of her hands creeping around, clutching at the back of his neck as he spins her and he realizes that he never wants to let go.

In this moment, Newt believes that everything will be okay. 

As the bonfire winds down, some of the Gladers retreat back into their homesteads and makeshift beds and hammock. While others continue to mingle around the slow dying fire. Emily is sitting next to Newt on a log, with Gally sitting at her feet, leaning against the log. Minho isn't too far off and is with Ben, Winston, and Zart while Alby is standing, eyes resting against the fire. There are few more Gladers here and there - lingering. Newt knows better than anyone, sometimes it was hard to go to bed, to wake up to this place all over again feeling as if he was stuck in some type of never ending nightmares. For others, like Gally, it is the dreams that leaves them haunted with flashes of a life before. 

After a few moments of soft whispers and the sound of dying fire, Emily breaks the daze, chin tilted slightly upwards and sings. It is sweet and light and somehow, it reminds them all of a childhood they don't remember having. Her eyes are closed and her face is towards the sky. Her voice carries, as some of the Gladers that have retreated to bed are now poking their heads out of the homestead and out of their hammocks to watch. It sounds like a lullaby. Some doze off to the sound of her singing while others linger to hear the last of the song that reminds them of something they will never remember having. 

That night, they dream of the ocean, of lullabies, and of childhood.

 


End file.
